Means for constructing buildings



l H l 6 w m M w 0 M 3 m W w, K mw. 4 2 f... Q e .e P. M fw@ I I I I I 1,. v.\- H i H. L. SPAIGHT MEANS FOR CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS F l d J ly 5 1940 Oct. 27, 1942.

Patented Oct. 27, 1942 2,300,181 MEANS Foa coNsTRUcTlNG BUILDINGS Harold L spaighi, cedar Rapids, Iowa Application July 5, 1940, serial No. 344,050

(ci. rfa- 103) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to building construction and has particular relation to a means for and a method of reinforcing masonry joints primarily for the purpose of preventing cracks in the Walls due to subsequent settling.

More and more attention is being directed to that type of building structure The pre-moulded units under consideration include cement and cinder blocks, and particularly blocks embodying a new type of sound absorbent and insulating material commercially known as Waylite, as well as clay tile and even standard brick.

It has been my experience that Walls employing such pre-formed masonry units are more susceptible to subsequent cracking, particularly around door and window openings, than walls of monolithic construction.

Building Walls of this typeof unit construction, however, have numerous inherent advantages not enjoyed by walls employing other types of material.

customary structure.

Other and further features and lobjects of my invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accomand following specification, wherein is disclosed a. single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope/of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a joint reinforcement and tie member constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of a building wall enploying joint reinforcement and tie members such as illustrated in Figure 1 with a. portion of the wall broken away to better illustrate the arrangement and the method of applying the tie members, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a brick wall in which reinforcing and tie members, such as shown in Figure 1, have been employed.

Referring now larly to Figure 1 to these drawings, and particuthereof; I have shown at I0 a a reinforcement and tie member adapted to be applied in accordance with the method hereinafter described.

The size of building blocks of the type describer has been more or less standardized at eight by eight by sixteen inches. Such blocks are usually provided with vertically extending in order to reduce the weight ofthe Ordinarily the diameters of the openings I5 are such and they are so spaced that the minimum distance between the walls of and the side walls of the block The blocks are blocks.

is about two usually laid so that the openings extend vertically.

l'VIy invention contemplates the embedding of a These rods, indicated at II and I2 in l Figure 1, may be spaced apart approximately six inches as a standard size and joined together and fastened at each bend to one of the longitudinalrods II and and as indicated at It will be obvious employed in securing to the longitudinal I4, I 6 and II.

that other means may be the cross members or braces channels or openings I5 for dead air spaces and I 2 by spot Welding or the like n illustrated in the elevational and sectional view of a representative type masonry wall (Figure 2).

The building blocks I8 are set in mortar :and

built up from a substantial footing I9 and the joints between the blocks in vertically adjacent courses are usually staggered as shown and in accordance with usual practice. Where door or window openings are left,A the lintel 2| and the sill 22 may be either building or concrete block of the required length or may be of concrete or the like cast in place. y

I have frequently noted cracks in nished structures of this nature, such as those shown in dotted lines at 23. 'Ihese cracks usually appear only after the building has had time to settle. These cracks have appeared to be practically unavoidable but I have found that, with my mortar joint reinforcement and tie member, these cracks, and particularly those radiating outwardly from door and window openings, are substantially eliminated.

It is preferable that reinforcing members be embedded in the mortar joints just above all door openings and in the joints just below the sills in window openings'. It is also usually desirable that additional reinforcing members be located throughout the wall or between every third or fourth course of blocks.

These reinforcing members preferably extend entirely"x around a building except Where interrupted by window, door or other openings. It will be apparent that such members may be readily formed to extend around a corner as shown :at 24. One rod l2 of the reinforcing member is cut as indicated at 26 in Figure 1, and the other rod H bent as at I6 and as shown at 24 in Figure 2. The

cut ends 25 of the rod I2 are permitted to extend f toward the other or uncut rod and thus serve to doubly reinforce the corner blocks and joints. Figure 3 illustrates the manner in. which devices constructed in accordance with my invention may be incorporated in brick walls. The

members I0 may be embedded in the mortar joints at every six to eight courses, and the wall is thus reinforced against cracking as previously described. In addition, the members l0 may be utilized as spacers between the outer portion 21 of the wall and its backing 28. Entirely hollow walls may be thus provided without the use of numerous bricks or masonry tie members which may, in themselves, transfer a considerable amount of heat through the wall. It will be apparent that the elimination of these brick tie members will permit the use of extremely simple brick work at a considerable saving in labor cost.

I have devised a means and method for reinforcing masonry walls which, although extremely simple and inexpensive to use, eliminates certain deficiencies more or less inherent in walls of the natureiuescribed. Such reinforcement members' offer no obstacles to the workman and are easy to handle.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modiications thereofl may be made by those skilled in the art.' Such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

lI claim as my invention:

For use in a wall having courses of blocks, means for tying together the courses including a pair of spaced-apart parallel-extending side rods, and means for joining the side rods cornprising a third rod formed in fiat zig-zag shape with the bends on opposite sides of the zig-zag member welded to the two side rods in a plane displaced from the plane of the two side rods whereby the thickness of the tying means at the joint between side members and zig-zag members is the thickness of the zig-zag member and a side rod thereby forming means for supporting the zig-zag member out of contact with the supporting course of blocks and permitting cement tov flow freely around the tying member.

HAROLD L. SPAIGHT. 

